Hockey Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick had plenty of highlight moments in his career, but one sticks out above the rest.
Roenick played in 1,363 NHL games and had over 500 goals and over 1,000 points. He had a great career, but in 2004, he scored his favorite goal of his career.
In Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Roenick, then a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, scored the OT winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Roenick’s goal eliminated the Maple Leafs from the playoffs, and he says that is his favorite goal of his career.
“My favorite goal ever, my favorite goal ever,” Roenick said to Heavy.com of the 2004 OT winner. “Well, obviously, because of the timing of the goal, in overtime in Toronto, which was one of my favorite places to play on the road. Against Eddie Belfour, propelling us into this into the third round was obviously spectacular. It was it was one of the best shots I’ve ever had. Yeah, it will go down as my favorite goal of all time.”
Despite it being over 20 years since that goal happened, Roenick says Maple Leafs fans always bring it up to him.
“Every single trip. There’s never a trip where I don’t come back to Toronto where someone doesn’t mention that goal,” Roenick said. “And they’re always gracious. They are like we hate you, but we love you, but we hate you because you killed us in 2004. Toronto Maple Leaf fans are very respectful to me and couldn’t be more pleasant and angry. But, they say like Canadians usually do, they say it in a very respectful way.”
Roenick and the Flyers ended up being eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the next round of the playoffs, who ended up winning the Stanley Cup.
Roenick Rooting for the Maple Leafs
Although Roenick eliminated the Maple Leafs from the playoffs, he says he is rooting for them this year.
Roenick never played for Toronto, but he says he’s a big fan of Auston Matthews and Craig Berube. He also believes the city deserves a Stanley Cup after everything they have been through.
“I hope for good things for Toronto,” Roenick said. “I’m a big Matthews fan. I’m a big Berube fan. I would love to see this team do well under Berube. And, let’s not beat around the bush, I mean, those fans have endured some awful playoff runs for the last 20 years. It’d be nice to see something change.”
The Maple Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967. As well, after Roenick and the Flyers eliminated Toronto in 2004, the Maple Leafs didn’t win another playoff round until 2023.
Hall of Famer Participating in HGV Tournament of Champions
Roenick will be participating in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on January 30-February 2.
The golf tournament is an LPGA event that also features celebrities, and Roenick says he’s excited to once again play alongside the best women golfers in the world.
“There’s no better place to do it than in these big tournaments, especially one with LPGA. How could you not love going playing with the best female golfers in the world? I got to play at Lydia Ko last year, Brooke Henderson. I mean, for me, it takes a lot of the pressure off of the tournament that we’re playing in, because we’re in awe of watching these amazing women play golf right next to us,” Roenick said.
Roenick, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024, is also hoping to win the tournament this year.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been close in so many tournaments and haven’t been able to put it away,” Roenick said. “So I would like to say there is no pressure, but it keeps mounting every time I get close and not finish it off. So I’m just going to go and have fun, and hopefully, the win happens instead of the falter.”
The tournament will take place at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida.
Comments
Jeremy Roenick Explains Why OT Winner Against Maple Leafs is His ‘Favorite Goal Ever’